Here We Are Activities and Comprehension Questions

Here We Are by Oliver Jeffers is a plea to care for the planet and each other. Read on to find Here We Are activities and comprehension questions to promote the responsibility we have to the planet.

Take a tour of our beautiful planet and discover its amazing people, creatures, and places in Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth by Oliver Jeffers. The themes of the book include:
– It is our responsibility to care for the Earth and its occupants.
– Show respect and kindness to others.
– A sense of belonging and community.

Here We Are gives you the opportunity to teach:

Our responsibility to the Earth, its occupants and the environment
Humans and our connections to the Earth
Different species and how we should care for them
How the world works

Scroll down for Here We Are activities, discussion questions and videos.

Here We Are Summary

Oliver Jeffers’ inspiration behind Here We Are is his new son, Harland, and his desire to introduce him to “the big globe, floating in space, on which we live”.

Jeffers offers notes on how to live on planet Earth, helping the reader make sense of the world and their role in it. Here We Are encompasses the mountains and oceans, space and constellations, and the animals and people who populate the Earth.

The handwritten facts throughout the book are a gentle plea to care for the planet, its inhabitants and each other. “People come in many shapes, sizes and colours. We may all look different, act different and sound different… but don’t be fooled, we are all people.”

Here We Are by Oliver Jeffers
Illustrator: Oliver Jeffers
Publisher: HarperCollins Children’s Books (2017)
ISBN: 9780008266165

Take a look inside

Oliver Jeffers Official Website

Book Series

Here We Are – Notes for Living on Planet Earth
What We’ll Build – Plans for Our Together Future

Related Books

Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years by Stacy McAnulty
The Lorax by Dr Seuss
Belonging by Jeannie Baker
Mirror by Jeannie Baker
One Small Island: The Story of Macquarie Island by Alison Lester
The Cloud Spinner by Michael Catchpool
Just a Dream by Chris Van Allsburg
The Tomorrow Book by Jackie French
The Curious Garden by Peter Brown

Here We Are Activities & Resources

I have created literacy graphic organizers for Here We Are. You can find them at my Teachers Pay Teachers store. There are many activities for each literacy area to differentiate depending on your student’s ability/age. They include activities for:

Author’s Purpose
Inferring and Predicting
Main Idea and Theme
Making Connections
Point of View
Problem and Solution
Retelling, Sequencing and Summarizing

*Click on these links to discover book recommendations on these topics.

Here We Are Activities & Links

CLPE: Recovery Curriculum for Primary Schools based on Here We Are
HarperCollins Children’s Books: Lesson Activities
Oliver Jeffers: Here We Are
Scottish Book Trust: Authors Live Oliver Jeffers
Scottish Book Trust: Oliver Jeffers Downloads
Teaching Ideas: Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth

FREE Here We Are Graphic Organisers

Would you like free graphic organisers for Here We Are?

I have a freebie that is part of a larger resource so you can try it out before buying anything!

Fill in the form below to get access to the FREE pack. Click on the image to see the full pack on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Here We Are Read-Aloud Questions

Read aloud sessions are a wonderful way for children to understand the connection between written text and spoken language. You can model reading habits and strategies, reading fluency, tone and eye contact. You can also introduce different genres, authors and illustrators.

What do you think this book is about? Explain.
Who is the author and /or illustrator?
Why does Oliver Jeffers use labels and arrows in the illustrations?
“There is enough for everyone’. What does Oliver Jeffers mean by this statement?
What is the message of Here We Are? How do you know?
What does Oliver Jeffers mean when he says “we haven’t quite worked everything out, so there is plenty left for you to do”?
Can you think of another book Here We Are reminds you of?
Do the illustrations help you understand the story? How?

You can find a full set of discussion cards in the Here We Are Literacy Bundle or as a separate pack.

Here We Are Book Videos

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